


Storming away from me

by Nihal9211



Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: F/M, Rhysand POV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-18
Updated: 2016-12-18
Packaged: 2018-09-09 13:32:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8892631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nihal9211/pseuds/Nihal9211
Summary: [Spoilers for the last chapters of ACoMaF]Feyre discovered that Rhysand is her mate and asked Mor to get her away, somewhere far away from him.Rhysand will eventually reach her and speak with her, but not for a few days.A little Rhysand's POV of the days Feyre spent at the Cabin: am I the only one who tried imagining what happened to Rhys in the meantime?Enjoy!





	

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! 
> 
> Hope you'll enjoy this Rhysand's POV. I always thought about how it must've been for him after Feyre left with Mor.  
> I mean, he's Rhys so he would be "royally pissed off", of course, but what else?
> 
> There's how I imagined it. Enjoy!

I winnowed with the last spark of magic and power lingering in my veins. Those Hybern bastards knew how to take me down, how to keep me from fighting and have taken a damned long time experimenting. Those lashes, those cuffs. I didn’t know what would’ve happened if Feyre didn’t show up.

I haven’t had the time or the ability to tell her but she has been _magnificent_. She had turned and winnowed and killed those soldiers with a grace I have ever, _ever_ seen on a battlefield. Mor was graceful, when she wanted to be, but her killing was efficient, driven by training and lessons both Cassian and Aziel had fueled into her. _I_ have fueled into her. But not Feyre. Her fighting has been instinct, pure and feral. She’d been an animal, a brutal beast, ready to defend what was hers with her skills and her life, if necessary. They hadn’t stood a chance.

I wanted the opportunity to tell her how beautiful she’d been, how lovely and deadly and… _divine_. I wanted to tell her how much I loved her for saving me, how much I loved her for all those months, but everything happened too quickly and before I could as much as sigh, she was storming toward the house. Away. She was storming _away from me_.

My traitorous body gave up and I fell into the freezing mud. _“Feyre…”_

I didn’t have enough strength to go after her, to stop her, embrace her and hold her to my chest like I desperately needed to. To let her know that I was alright, that everything would be alright. I needed to know _she was alright_ , But while Cassian knelt near my week body, I caught Mor’s eyes. She was looking at me and then at Feyre while she was asking her to get her away. Get her away from me.

If the world was still under my feet and my knees, in that moment if shifted violently and I sensed by breath hitching. She could not leave, _she could not leave me: I needed her_. I tried to scream those words, scream to her how sorry I was for everything, how desperately sorry I was for being a coward and a liar. But while her name was the only things escaping my lips, one more time, Mor winnowed and my mate… she was gone.

I knew she was safe – I trusted Mor that much, my cousin would keep her from danger – but that didn’t make it better. It made it so, so much worse.

“Rhys what happened? Who did this?”

Cassian was already in his general mode: assessing the threat, cataloguing the dangers, preparing the defenses. That was why I’d chosen him as my general. He’d never disappointed me since. A part of me wanted to tell him everything about the bastards who did that to me, my rational part pushed me to tell him and prepare an adequate defense. My heart, on the other hand, had me still looking at the point where Feyre had just disappeared.

Had it been a second, a minute, an hour? The last time I felt her absence that much was just before the damned fool Tamlin had locked her up. The way she screamed that day… It still took a lot of control not to shatter that damned court to shreds. Especially considering everything he had done to my family, everything he had done to her, too.

“She will come back, Rhys. – the words reached me but I was still too focused on the spot where they’ve disappeared – We really need to tend to those wounds, you hear me? I don’t care if you want to freeze in this damn mud right now. Whatever happened, she’ll be back.”

He was right, of course, and my body moved on instinct – and partially because of Cassian’s force lifting me. We reached the cabin and the familiar warmth of it welcomed us while I lied on the pillows of the couch and Cassian started to tend to my wounds, his Syphons shining with red and glimmers of orange sparkles. I just closed my eyes and covered them with my arm, trying to shut out the light and anything that might remind me of her.

She’d left. She promised she wouldn’t and yet she left. I was becoming so accustomed to her being here, with us, _with me_ , so much that I forgot how difficult it had been to survive in those three months before I reclaimed our deal. Even her hate was better than nothing at all. The spark in her eyes, the fury when she read those sentences I made her copy, again and again. The more I spent time with her the more I was astonished by how beautiful and perfect she was. Perfect not only in herself, but mostly perfect for me. When she retrieved the ring I was not only pleased, I was finally sure the Cauldron was with me on this. It could not be a coincidence, I told myself then.

She’d slowly became a vital part of my Court, of my family. Mor loved her, she was the sister she’d never got in the Court of Nightmares, the sister who’d have defended her all those centuries ago when her father nailed her on the border of the Autumn Court. It was a joy to see them together – a dangerous vision, at times, but cheerful. Some nights while they were gone in the evening, drinking Cauldron knows what, Cauldron knows where, I’ve asked Azriel to keep an eye on them. He had always reported the same thing – nothing. He said that they were completely safe and if I was jealous I could go and look after them himself. I, High Lord of the Night Court, looking after the Morrigan and Feyre Cursebreaker? I would not do such thing.

Azriel had been cautious with her at the beginning, and for a good reason. I would’ve expected nothing more from my spymaster than to be prepared. It was his advice who made me clear the map of the Night Court territories, that first time I showed them to her. He never said anything bad about her – he knew better – but he kept plotting and spying. For my sake, for all of our sakes. I think he really dropped every defense after that day they’d flew together. I was so shocked, that time, when she merely said she’d fly with Az. I think only shock kept Cassian from asking why she preferred him. Shock and fear of my right punch. Because he would have deserved it.

Cassian, on the other hand, probably guessed from the first time he saw Fayre what she was to me. Guessed or listened to Az’s suspicions. I never told them – the situation was messy enough as it was – but they suspected, and never said one word. They respected my choice and respected the space I needed, we both needed. Just like they always did in these past centuries. Cassian was probably the male I would trust the most to keep Feyre safe if anything happened to me. Him or Amren.

Well, Amren was a different thing entirely. She _sensed_ the bond on me, on _us_ , that first time we dined all together. I confirmed with a nod and she kept quiet ever since. I don’t know if she ever told Mor or if the two of them ever spoke about it – those two were dangerous if left unguarded – but she spoke to me about it only once. “You might be a High Lord but you’ll need all the luck of the Cauldron to survive that one. But my money is on her, just to let you know.”. She never said anything about it, never again. That would quickly change now, wouldn’t it? Not that Feyre knew, now that she was…

Mor appeared near the table, winnowing from gods know where. I tried to rise instantly but Cassian’s hands held me down and his stare was unmovable. I knew what he meant: try me and I’ll keep you down with my force, if necessary. I knew he would. My cousin looked at us for a brief moment and dared approaching a few steps, stopping just behind Cassian. Out of my reach but in my line of sight. I didn’t know if starting yelling at her of begging her to bring to my mate.

_Feyre, my mate, my love, my mate._

“Where is she? – I rasped, lifting my arm so it could rest above my head, the other lazily laid on my stomach – Is she… is she…?” I dind’t have the right word, not yet. I didn’t even know what to ask. All of this was absurd: I should’ve been talking to her, explaining everything to her. Not being here, week and fractured. My wings were still sore after she cut out those ash arrows and I doubted I could reach her quickly. Especially since I didn’t know _where_ she was.

“I want to see her, _now._ ”

Mor merely crossed her arms and lifted an eyebrow. “She is fine, she is taken care of and safe, so stop fussing. She just needs time to… process everything. She will talk to you, as soon as she’s ready.”

Cassian’s hand became rigid and then relaxed: did he guess or was he still imagining the worse? Actually there was no need to pretend anymore. “Feyre discovered she’s my mate. – I said, for Cassian’s benefit and for my own peace of mind – She imprisoned the Suriel to find out how to cure Bloodbane and the creature told her. She as much as shoved her blood down my throat and ordered me to winnow us here.” I looked again at Mor, to make sure her features were still unimpressed.

But my cousin _was_ impressed. Whatever Feyre had told her made her realize how much I was suffering. A part of me hated her for keeping her from me. The other part loved her, loved her _so much_ , knowing she was that loyal to Feyre, maybe as loyal as she was to me. Maybe even more. Right now, however, I wanted to know what she said and I said as much to the blond Fae standing behind the general. Cassian’s hand left my stomach and a plaid appeared on my body – Mor’s idea.

“She just said what you also said right now, that the Suriel told her. I said you might have your own reasons and to listed you out. But you already know how I feel about all of this, I told you what my thoughts were from the very first time I saw her throwing her slippers at you. – Such a long, _long_ time ago. – Right now I think she needs to think and to just sort everything out. She was human less than a year ago, Rhys. She was about to marry Tamlin merely a few weeks ago. It is too much, all of it at once. Amarantha almost broke her, _killed her_ , and now she has a chance not only on surviving but living, really living, with her mate. She loves you, anyone being around you two for longer than a minute can tell you that, but she need to accept it first. To accept the future with you, with us, with the Night Court. If you let her see the future you two might have she will come back willingly. Force her and you might loose your chance – or at worst a few decades.”

Cassian, still crouched near the sofa, looked between the two of us, shifting his eyes from Mor to his lord and backwards a couple of times and then just stood, at the same moment Mor decided to sit on one of the sofa’s armchairs His voice was something unsure but timid, almost hesitant. “She is tough, she already endured a lot. Maybe she feels that you should’ve been the one to tell her…”

My cousin just coughed and Cassian lifted his shoulders in a silent question. He meant well, I knew he meant well, but I didn’t want to hear any of them right now. “I need to go to her, I don’t care what you two say. Cassian, Hybern had soldiers on Illyrian territory hunting me down. Double the patrols near the mountains’ paths and make sure all the borders are highly guarded. I want a report from Az tomorrow morning about the borders and I want to know how those bastards track my magic. Understood?”. His general merely nodded once and, after another look at Mor, winnowed away. I just stared at Mor.

She stared back.

“I won’t tell you where she is, it’s pointless to keep staring. And you are no good like this, you know that right? You need to heal first, we need to make sure nothing like this happens again because the next time it might be her… - his roar made Mor close her mouth for a second, but she kept going – You know I am right, I don’t care how long you will keep that long face at me. Go on, by all means. But I care about her as do you and keeping our Court safe is a priority as much as it is keeping her safe. So heal and I promise you she will be back. Soon.”

Before I could object, she merely kissed my forehead before winnowing out, surely going after Cassian or Az. Or maybe just to Feyre, again, to keep her company. I wanted to trash everything, wanted to scream until there was no sounds left in my throat. I didn’t have the force to do so. I barely had enough energy to winnow to my bedroom and lay on the bed, closing my eyes on instinct.

_He dreamed of brown-blond hair, painter’s hands and a woman in a white dress dancing under falling stars. The Night Lord dreamed of her kiss, that night at the Inn and, just before dawn, he dreamed of her beautiful face deformed by pain and sorrow in discovering he lied to her. He jolted awake in an instant, the darkness settled around him like a thick plane of mist. Almost a day had passed since he returned to the camp, almost a day without her._

The next three days were a blur of fighting, rage and worry. I spend a lot of time fighting Cassian in the ring – him or some other Illyrians, whoever was stupid or brave enough to fight against me in this condition. Cassian was back by the end of day one, reporting about the new measures of defense, the new patrols and the spells Amren had suggested to install on the borders. As soon as they were done talking, I was already on the edge and Cassian didn’t wait long before taking my rage to the pit. He took every blow and responded to every attack. I knew I needed it, and Cassian knew it too.

We fought both with blades and with bare hands, until the sun settled and the darkness embraced the camp. We ate in silence and the next morning started anew, one more time. Again and again. The release kept me from lingering too much on the thought of my mate, away from me and doing gods know what. The thought of her was almost unbearable. I knew there were only so much places Mor could’ve taken her. But I could not – and _would_ not – winnow there. I was still not powerful enough for that nor had I any desire to drive those bastards once again behind my powers, to Feyre. Cauldron damn me, my power was a curse right now.

Mor kept her distance, if it was because she didn’t want to tempt my rage or she was afraid to let Feyre’s location split, I didn’t know. To be honest, I didn’t care. My cousin knew better than to endanger my mate and she also knew that if anything happened to her it would be on her, solely on her. That’s why she probably stayed a while, observing me barking orders to the recruits and then fight with Cass. She merely nodded once and then disappeared. I didn’t know how but I knew where she went.

She came back the next morning and whispered something to Cassian, something she didn’t want me to hear. I was at her side in an instant. “How is she?”

“Peachy. She has actually find some pretty interesting activities to pass her time, I can give her that. We just spoke and drank your good wine and… - she caught herself before saying to much and merely smiled – She is doing well, all considering, and I think she doesn’t hate you _anymore_. If I were to say that, I’d say she is serene. But not ready to talk to you, _yet._ Please don’t make me say anything.”

That was it. I couldn’t stay there a minute longer and even the thought of spending one more minute without her…. I had so many things I wanted to bark to my cousin, to bark to Cassian or to the recruits. I did no such thing: even if I was pissed – and right now I was _royally pissed off –_ I knew they didn’t deserve my anger. But I could think about someone who might, actually, deserve it. I slammed my fingers and my wings and leathers disappeared, replaced by rich fabrics and black velvet. “We go to the Hewn City, winnow us directly there. Let them run around as ants.” Mor, to her credit, smiled a bit – she was always happy to torment her parents and her brothers – and said nothing about the reason they both knew was behind that trip. She just kissed Cassian on the cheek and grabbed my hand, winnowing us.

As expected, the place had me on edge almost instantly. It was good for me, bad for them.

The Court of Nightmares relieved my pain only partially. Even if I was not thinking about her and the bond, it was there, always there. _She was there_. Her face was on my mind every second, even if I tried to not torment myself with the thought of it. Hour after hour I knew what I wanted to talk to her about, I knew the words I desperately needed to tell her. I would tell her everything, lay the truth at her feet as I knew I should’ve done from the beginning. Being in this damned place made me realize a fragment more about how my feelings and my actions influenced her decision to keep away from me.

I left the Court of Nightmares a day after I arrived, leaving Mor to deal with her lovely family on my behalf. She was planning to break some bones, I was positive about it.

The first house I flew to has empty. It was a small yet pretty house on the beach. I was not a big fun of sea holidays but, who knows why, Az and Mor were crazy about the little cottage. It was a two stores building, the roof decorated with red stones and the walls covered in green climbing plants. I had some nice memories there, and according to Azriel it was the house they used the most during those years under the mountain. I had no idea why and had had not the heart to ask for it.

The second house I flew to – six hours, maybe more, was a mountain house, a lovely refuge me and Cassian once broke down after a fight and rebuilt because of Amren’s cold stare. She was very keen on the house, she said it made her happy. The place was a wreck as it was now – nobody had been there for more than 50 years, give or take. A no go, but I was still not ready to give up.

The third location was a castle, Azriel’s castle to be correct. I’ve given both him and Cassian lands, after I appointed them to my court. None of them used the castles and the lands I’ve donated, always too busy on their own assignments. I knew they actually despised the big, rock houses those castles were and were more than happy to spend their time in the Wind House and in the nice apartments both had in Velaris. They accepted them, though, knowing that my giving them those residences was an act of respect. It was a statement to all of my lands and my people to let them know that those two Illyrian bastards were actually part of my Inner Circle and, as such, powerful and rich because of it.

Azriel’s castle – located on a valley not far away from our favorite cabin in the mountains – was well guarded, both by guards and by magic. Shields and protections were cast all around it and only me, Az and Mor could winnow inside. I once debated asking him why he allowed Mor and not also Cassian but then decided against it. The relationship between the three of them was something I really didn’t want to mess with, not when Feyre enjoyed that already very much.

Of course she was not there, not even remotely. Mrs Dylada, the governess and chief of the staff at the house, offered some refreshments and asked me at least 10 times to stay with them a bit. I ate some meat and potatoes but was on my way in an hour. I needed to reach Feyre and was keen on doing it as quickly as possible.

The cabin was the nearest spot and anyway it was the only possible location left. That or Cassian’s estate – even if I doubted Mor would use it. Azriel could keep a secret, Cassian would’ve already told me Feyre was there, knowing him. My wings were tired after so much flying but I was not feeling week. The poison was gone completely and my recovery was in the last stages, a few days and I would be as much as new, my magic again at its fullest.

I spotted the light in the cabin from yards away and my heart literally _jumped_ in my chest. She was there, finally I’ve found her. I wanted so desperately to talk to her. All of the things I wanted to tell just kept popping into my mind but the words “I love you” were the one I would probably shout first. No, I would not scare her. She had been scared already and now I had to behave. I had to give her the chance to hear me out – if she even wanted to hear me out.

I landed and breathed, once, deeply. And then I knocked.


End file.
